InDesign for Kindle Plugin: Install on CS4 & CS5

Amazon has just announced that they have released a free beta plugin for converting books to Kindle format directly out of InDesign.

The plugin is compatible with InDesign CS4 and CS5, but if you have both versions installed on your computer, the installer will only install it for CS5; there is no way to tell the installer to install it for CS4, instead.

You can get around this with a little bit of manual work:

1. Install the plugin for CS5.
2. Use the shareware software Pacifist and open the Kindle for Adobe InDesign (Beta).pkg file with it.
3. Open up the directory tree until it looks like this:

   

4. Scripts first: out of the scripts folder, drag the Export for Kindle folder into your Adobe InDesign CS4/Scripts/ folder.
5. Plugins next: out of the plugin/version6/ folder, drag the other Export for Kindle folde into your Adobe InDesign CS4/Plug-ins/ folder.
6. Launch InDesign CS4—you should now see Export to Kindle under the File menu (un-alphabetically tucked between Export for Digital Editions and Export for Dreamweaver.)

Check out this thread on InDesignSecrets for a little more on the state of this plugin, and follow the #eprdctn hashtag on Twitter for all sorts of cool troubleshooting, hacking, and business-related ePub tweets!